When my kids were younger, I was concerned if they understood the real meaning of Christmas. With public schools taking every notion of spirituality out and stores marketing the "perfect" gift, I needed to emphasize the birth of Christ. Autistic kids are so literal, so I wanted to ensure MY values are stressed, not the school's or retailer's.
I started with simple steps. My kids understood the traditional rituals of a birthday party; they understood a birthday party included items like gifts, cake, candles, and singing. So on Christmas afternoon, we celebrated the birth of Christ like all other birthdays. We baked a cake together. We all blew out the candles and sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. This also helped with the Christmas "blues" that sometimes came. (All the presents were opened, now what?) We always enjoyed the birthday party, and the focus was on Baby Jesus.
As the boys grew older, we evolved into celebrating the twelve days of Christmas. We gave gifts every day from December 25 to January 6. Again, this was to emphasize that Christmas was not just about getting gifts in abundance. The focus had to remain on the Christ-child. We always said a small prayer of thanks before opening the gifts. Our gifts usually centered on family events, giving of our time to each other.
"Gifts" varied from a video rental to dinner out. Miniature golfing or bowling were winners as well. Once in a while, we gave a can of soda or made a whole pizza for each boy. Of course, we had gifts of little toys are games in the mix. The boys learned patience and were able to appreciate gifts as they were received instead of the "what should I open next" syndrome.
Christmas is a joyful season. Instead of ending on December 25, it's only the beginning.
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